Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Air will feature a brand-new ultra-thin design that will measure at just 5.5mm thin. However, the company is looking to equip the device with the same 12GB RAM as the iPhone 17 Pro models, making it more powerful than the base version, which is expected to retain the same 8GB of RAM as the current models.
Higher RAM could boost the iPhone 17 Air’s multitasking power, leaving the base model at a disadvantage if supplies fall short
It was previously reported that the iPhone 17 Air will replace the ‘Plus’ model in the lineup, but it appears that the company is willing to present the device as a powerful option. The iPhone 16 Plus comes with the same internals as the base iPhone 16, including the processor and the RAM, but Ming-Chi Kuo notes in his latest blog post that the iPhone 17 Air will sit with the ‘Pro’ models when it comes to the higher RAM count.
As for the base iPhone 17, Kuo says that Apple will equip the base model with 12GB of RAM, but only if the supply chain shortages are overcome. He also claims that the company will make the final decision regarding the RAM count in the base model by next month, which means that it will be the final stage before the company prepares for mass production of the device.
Currently, all iPhone 16 models are equipped with 8GB of RAM, and even though Apple is lagging behind the likes of Android flagships, the performance of the device remains at the top thanks to the A18 chips. The iPhone 17 Pro models and the iPhone 17 Air jumping to the 12GB bandwagon would give the devices the extra boost they need to better compete against the likes of the Galaxy S25 lineup, allowing the devices to bolster better multitasking capabilities than the current models.
It was also recently reported that iOS 19 will add support for a Stage Manager-like interface on the iPhone with external display support. This could be why the company plans to increase the RAM count, which would allow the device to feature dedicated multitasking utilities and offer a zero-lag experience. Kuo also expects all models of the iPhone 17 lineup to feature 8GB of RAM if the shortages are met ahead of time.
The company’s higher RAM count will benefit Micron and SK Hynix, which are the company’s exclusive suppliers. Kuo also mentions that the higher RAM count would increase the cost of production, which could also cause a price hike, but it remains to be seen which direction the company takes. We will share more details on the iPhone 17 Air RAM as soon as further information is available.
